Wireless communication devices, such as smart phones, have traditionally been configured to utilize Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs) that provide access to wireless network services. A UICC typically takes the form of a small removable card (e.g., a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card) that is inserted into a wireless communication device. In most cases, each UICC is associated with a single “Issuer”—such as a mobile network operator (MNO)—that controls the programming and distribution of the UICC.
In more recent implementations, non-removable UICCs—referred to herein as embedded UICCs (eUICCs)—are being included on system boards of wireless communication devices. These eUICCs are distinct from removable UICCs in that the eUICCs are non-removable and permanently affixed to circuit boards in wireless communication devices. An eUICC can be programmed with one or more eSIMs, each of which can emulate and replicate the architecture of a typical SIM so as to enable a wireless communication device that includes the eUICC to access wireless network services.
The use of eUICCs and eSIMs can offer significant advantages over traditional UICCs. For example the use of an eUICC can provide device manufacturers with increased flexibility in device design due to the lack of a requirement to design the device to accommodate the size and form factor of a removable UICC. As a further example, the ability to remotely provision (e.g., over-the-air) eSIMs can provide convenience for consumers and vendors when configuring a device to access a mobile network operator's wireless network.
While the use of eUICCs and eSIMs can provide the aforementioned benefits of the installation of multiple eSIMs on a single eUICC, as well as remote provisioning of eSIMs, the storage space in eUICCs can be limited such that installation of additional eSIMs can require removing existing eSIMs from the eUICCs in order to establish the required storage space. One existing solution for freeing space on an eUICC to enable installation of an additional eSIM generally involves permanently deleting an eSIM such that the deleted eSIM cannot again be used by the eUICC. Another existing solution involves exporting the eSIM from the secure eUICC environment to a secure environment on a remote provisioning server such that the eSIM is “deprovisioned” from the eUICC and is no longer locally maintained at the wireless communication device.
Notably, the foregoing solutions can be undesirable for a variety of reasons. For example, in some cases, deletion of an eSIM from the eUICC may be non-reversible due to security requirements to prevent eSIM cloning. Consequently, deletion of the eSIM does not allow for a subsequent re-installation of the eSIM on the eUICC as the eSIM no longer exists, and the user must download another eSIM from the network, thereby imposing cost and liability issues. Moreover, in the case of exporting to a remote provisioning server, the user may not always have a network connection to enable exportation of the eSIM to the provisioning server and/or may wish to locally maintain the eSIM at the wireless communication device rather than having the eSIM remotely “deprovisioned.”